Known cervical link systems include a plurality of links secured in chain-like fashion by bone screws to adjacent vertebrae. As shown by FIGS. 1A and 1B of U.S. Pat. No. 5,716,357, the links may be flat plates having bone screw apertures at opposite ends. For treatment of lordosis, or hyphosis, or for other reasons, the links may be contoured as shown by FIGS. 8A and 8B of U.S. Pat. No. 5,716,357.
Chain-like constructs of links to be secured by the FIG. 2 bone bolts and associated washers and lock nuts to adjacent vertebrae are shown by FIGS. 4 and 5 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,716,357. Cross-tie mechanisms in the form of one or more links to provide quadrilateral stabilization of adjacent chain-like constructs are shown by FIGS. 4 and 6 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,716,357.
A need exists for a cervical plate useful alone or for connection to a cervical link system as a cross-tie or during revision type surgery.